Controller mechanism for multiple-stage turbines.



PATBNTBD APR. 24, 1906. l

'Jf WILKINSON. CONTROLLER MEGHANISM FOR MULTIPLE STAGE TURBINBS.

BEST AVAILABLE COP` lo.v 818,499.

APLIO'ATION FILED humo, 1905.l

. e ,f 44 W UNITED 'sT-Aras eEsT 'VAILABLE coef PATENT of'rrrcn.

JA uns WILKINSON, or BIRMiiunflifnwi',ALABAMA,l AssreNoR TOWI'LKINsoN l TURBrNE coMrANY, A CORPORATION" orAL-ABAMAL. CoNTRoLL-ER mECHANism-.Fon MuLTIPLE-STGE rURBmEs.

Be it knownthat I, JAMEs WILKINSON, a

citizenof the United States, residing at Birfollowing a specii'cation.

ating' nozzles and buckets, which-.act to driver My presentmvention relates tocontroller` mechanism Afora multistage turbine provided with two or more independent sets of coperf entspe'eds, o1' ibotlif v. h l

the Yobject of! my'v invention to provide -thewstage-nozzles with. lindependent; 'valves the turbine inreverse directions or atdiflerfwhich are controlled automatically ,by the V pressure conditions Withinthe turbine,1 and I' dirfectiacting ,multistage turbine provided.

morev particularly/ Within thejstage fromwhichethe valvesact to `control theexhaust.

lIna pending application I have shown a with ,automatic V'stage--pressurecontrolled valves f'betweenvsifli'eelcompartmentsl and fully described the-'advantages derived from: their use-I'such as the better control of the i e same arts throughout thedrawings.. f l

fluid throughout its active agency within the turbine, the maintenance ofMstage-Apressures,

and the securing'of a successiveope land closing o'f'tlie stage-valves in'correspon ence with the operation .of l.the 'suply-valvesewhereby the proportion, .offtheuids Work-'z mg assageacross stages ism'aintaned for all load) conditions Without complicating the. governing. mechanism-. I While these ladvanf tages apply generally to all types'of turbines y i i 7,- arrangedfin two parallel-rows and )ointed or wfherein the lmotcrluid' is ractionally eX- panded in the reversing'or two-speed turbines;

such as described in my. Letters Patent os.

7 52,6120' and 752,496, it becomes of particularVA advantage', since inthese turbines itis Anecesf` sary to valve' allthe' nozzles for each stage.

The use -ofl automatic 'stage-valves which will operate res onsive toutheopening and closing the supp y-yalves will materially simplify the controller, mechanism, which need then only .control :the operation of 'the supply- `valve's. The character of the controller mechanism forv the supplywalves and the .turbine construction does not form; ari-important part3of^my 4present invention, the gist of whichis the use-oi' a plurality of automatic stageevalves in a turbine having .independent nozzlesl and bucketsV acting with ldifferent Specication of LettersV Patent.' i 'I Appuaam ned :ranu'ryfzmieoa sentira. 241.97'.

' effects, and-"lf gpsed .nozzles- :atenten april 24, 190e.

broadlyherein. A

v More particularly, myinventioncomprises 'the' details of construction and arrangement desire tot" claim of parts hereinafter more' fully described,l anglf illustrated in the accompanying drawin Figurev I 1 represents a verticale sectioiiiil view'y raket through ,a twestage turtinehdesigned to reverse at half-speed and showing in lsimilarl .sectional -vieW one' of ,the compound centrol1er.'casings:forthe'stage-valves.` Fig;l 42 is a' :vertical sectionalI -v-iew taken-f through botli. Workingjpassagesffrthezmotor Huid" -and showing# -thef reverse' disposition or'-l pthef' nozzle-passages and vthe; fbucket-Wheel.

coilstruction.- ,-Fig. 3 isy a'detil view of the .valve-neuter,l takenalongtheline afm, 1'.

"Lirep'resents a'seri'e of 7controller-*Instons for-a row' of stage-valves and illustrates their siiccessivelyv decreasing size-'for the purpose o va ves under theirecntrolas the pressure roducinga successive action` of thestage .the controlling stagevaries; Fig.; visfadef4 tail view' of one ofthe'contr'ollerpistorvalvesr Similary referencenumeralsfrefer to the .Asil ustrated5the turbine compriseszthesupfply-head 1, exhaust-head' 2, and any-desired number of interposed diaphra Vsi'ti'on by'anouter shell orja'cket 4. The diavphragm shown divides the turbiney into -two A -partitions 3,- r(only one being shown) whic are-heldI inpostages, 'Withineachof which .is disposed'a l bucket-Wheel 5, provided'withfagrow of d irect buckets 6 and aset of reversin buckets 'suitably cormected -tothe direct buckets.v AStationzu'y intermediates 8j 'are disposed between each double row of reversing-buckets' scharge motor.l fluid Y. at an angle against buckets 6 and 7.1 Fluidressure may be sup plie to these nozzles t ough `pipes,A leading lthe* threaded inlet ends ofthe nozzles. Any

desired' number" of supply nozzles may 'be lused', and` they may'be'arranged 1n any Adesired manner and the Y flow of motor Vfluid therethrough controlled Aby a governor er by oulder-jl() of the supplyhead. i

11 and 12, which respectively IOO any. suitable source and threaded into necte "controller mechanismsdescribed in my Let- A controller'mechamsm, such' as'shownl anddescribed ma pending application, Serial No. 172,588, may be used to operate the suply-valves for each'set of nozzles by admitting uid-pressure to one side or the other of the wing? istons carried bystems 16, conto the valves 13 and 14, or any of the ters Patent aforesaid may be readily adapt- Inasmuchas erably 4,correspondi fr -ed to control both sets of supplyvalves, `maintaining one set closed while successively opening or closing the nozzles of theother set.

the controller means for the supply-valves does not form an essential part of my present invention,. the detailed description will be limited to the means for auto matically controlling the flow of motor fluid through the stages.

' r.lwo 'sets of stage-nozzles 17 and 18, prefin 'numberwith the 'supplynozzlea lead 't rough each diaphragm V3 and coperate,respectively,with the buckets and 7 on the wheel in the succeeding stage. v. AB seen in 2, these stage-nozzles 'are enlargedA to 'make provision for the expanded arranged' slightly in advance of their correcondition of the motor fluid and are sponding supplynozzles or so as to form series or rows of nozzles across stages through .which the motor uid .practically maintain Hows in streams, which their identity. .It is the'volume of motor my purpose to vary fluid in accordance with the load by cutting on or off the' streams Vacross stages. To effect this, I provide each direct stage-nozzle 17 with a rotary valve 19 and each-reversingrotaryvalve 20,whichvalves are similar to valves 6 and are'seated in the dia 'h'ragms 3; The stage-valves are prefera ly o the diaphragm. The direct and reversing nozzles are preferably so arranged in the diaa valve for one of each of theseA phragms that nozzles may seat. A passage be disposed within a common with the stage-pressure above the diaphragm,l

admits this pressure between the abutting ends of the pair of. valves 19 and 20 in each seat. T o simplify construction, passage 22 is common to the several pairs of valves and has but one point of. communication (not here shown) with'the stage above the rdia- Y sure chamber. The pistons and their cylinpliragm.

The automatic controller mechanism for and 32, leading inwardly i cured to eacl high-pressure communicates throu erated by wing-pistons 15, seats 21' for whic are disposed in the valve-recess in .and 28 29 enter their res ective cy 22, which communicates BEST AvAiLAeLE-coe the stage-valves comprises a compound controller-casinv 23'for each pair of stage-valves 19 and 20,' t is casing being shown disposed without the jacket .4 and cominunicatinor by pipes 24 and 25 withV two passages 2 6. and 27, Fig. 3, leading through the' shell and diaphragm to each side of the wing-'pistonfor a direct valve 19. Two pipes 28 and 29 connect with passagesalso leadinfr through the shell and diaphragm to each sice ofthe wingpiston for areversing-valv'e 20. j The main body portion 3 0 of the 'casing is formed with two high-pressurecylinders .311 fromeach 'nd of the through a reduced casing and communicating assage 33 at their inner ends,

ters the assage 33'and admits a. gh pres'- sure to te inner beveled ends yofthe cylinders. A ca 35 is shrunk or otherwisese-'- end'of thev casing30 and forms the lovvpressurel cylinders 36 and 37"for-the 85 differential piston-valves 3S-and 3 9, whose' 1 heads while their lowfpressure heads 41 move within the communicate through pipes'4243 Vwith .a '9o 40 move'fwithin'the cyl-v three way valve casing 4,? which Vin*- turn h a'co duit-45 ewith the f' stage above 'the diap cylinder described. in' this casing acts to throw fone of the pipesv l42 43 into 'commumcation with the stage# the'otherto theatpressure, While exposing mosphere or an exhaust-pressure throu .h a port 48. The pi es 42 43 enter thegouterv ev-f eled ends ofthe-ibw-pressurecylinders'36 37,1- which at' their inner ends' areexpo'secl to the atmosphere or'an exhaust-pressureithrough a passage 49, leading through'the -fcasing 30 and opening into a pipe 50. The high-pressure heads ofthe pistons are reduced at two points to' form' annular chambers 51 and 5 2, the latter of which is exposed to high-'pressure through a passage-53, the high-.pressure head of the pistonyw'hilfe agm within whichare seated the valves underthe" 'control ofthe A rotary valve "46 with 9 5L roo leading through IIO the former chamber 52is exposed to exhaustpressurel 'through'4 exposed to a high or exhaust pressure. Thus, as shown, pipes 28 and .chambers 51 andv 52, and therefore with ex- 29 register with the haust and high pressures, respectively, while pipe 25 registers with the low-pressure chamer 51 and pipe 24 opensinto the'high-presders are beveled ,to cause the fermento move .a passage '54, 1- leading, through the piston stems and constantly r full stroke Without assuming intermediate l I operatingpositions-- l Itbeingff understood that a controllercasin 23 is provided. foreach"pair'lostagee va ves thecontrol of stagevalve'sivillbeauf: tomatically effected injfthefollovviiigmanner;

.Assuming lthat it is desired to cause thi?. tuli' bine tov reverse, .the valveor valves 46 will b'e' moved tothe positionshown in Fig. I, when'v thelpvvl-.pressurcylinders wiilbe e osed' to 'the atmosphereorexhaust through 'pipe-'42 4algae-Dsl" hvelll-.hfdi'vvi move thevalvesl to the position shown and flowing 'througlhfi pipes 24; andpassages 27 will movethe Wingistons to. cause valves .19 .to 'closethe'noz-"- zles I7.. .All oithefpistons-38lbeing moved to! this position allof'the stage-valves 1'=9 Will-.be

closed;V and consequently 'no Huid-pressure. canfflow through Vthe direct nozzles, The

.- movement ofthe valves or valves 46"'to the` position described throws- 4all 'the low-presf' surej cyl i1 1de1 s'v 37 into, communication with the rst stage'-in'essurev lthrough pipes' 43' and 45, `'which pressure thus' acts against'the ally control the opening and closinglo amore-39o' .respondingirow .of valves across'` stages-sif1lf heads 4 1' ofthe pistons 39 "opposition'toA the'hiY h pressure acting againstthe heads 4Q 'ofsai p 1s`ton s. y The heads of thesepistons' are v given any"A desired differential', according' to the Lpressure which is to be maintained in the st agefwhich they control. Beforethe'- supply valves 14 have been' o ened'f to atl-44 mit pressureto the ir'stfstage t e high pres'- sure acting'against'heads' 40,0f the istons 39 will move them allv .to their lowere -position` andvvill act to close all of the valves v20. As the supplyvalvs'lll' are opened andthe pres sure'rises inthe rst stage the pressure in' vcreases below the vpiston-heads 4'1 until the .positlon shown in 1.

case'of .the piston having the largest differential 'this' stage-y ressre -overcome the high pressure' and?. move the piston 39 to the This movement of' the piston reverses'ft'he ressurein pipes 28 29 andopens a valve 20. f the pressure 1n said stage continues' to increase, the other. valves 39,'` according' to their relativedierentials, Y will successively bemoved by the stage-pressure to open other valves 20. In Fig. 4 I

have illustrated. a part of a 'seriesof the pistonvalvesBS, showing the dilerence in area of -their low-pressure `heads,fby inez'rns-o.l

em thejvarying differential de'' signedato'lproduce the successive operation .55.

Awhich I give t ofthe stage-'valves'.f l'Ihis differential "may be'PrOduced in -any :other desired 4man'neii the stage-pressure lowers the'highpressure Will successively overcome the stage-fA pressureand movepistons39 to closev the valves; vIt is' my urpose to' so proportion the-several- .control er-pistonsfor the' stage- -v'alvs that they will" all operate' a verysniall 'variation of stagepressure say 'toi ffour pounds per square inch.-l

-pressurel This-Wil cause the 'valves 20.to

. control the opening and closingfofthef valves'19.

.limit myself tothesame norV to the 'construef' and, second, 'the 1 rovision ofa plurality of Yoperation of' stage-valves' in a, 'revers' bines or reciprocating engines.:

may be of advantage Where'the'who e supply pressure. Whe'n -it 'is desired toreverse -the.; turbine .and causet todrive forward, .it only necessary to `move ,the valve 46,2 so that 36 and exposes the c Enders 37 to an exhaust-.1f

closethe stage-nozzles 18; Whl'the pistonsSS 8e f ThoughIha-veshowninyinveuticn pp'liijalP-4 toja tivo-stage turbine,;1ts. `advantagesiare;. even greater in turbines hfavi'ngi's'ala-rgerImm'- v T85 means bien pound controller-casing 173 I. mavfautomatief desired, `a se ,aratje controller-casing could; bei?.

lusedifor eac air ofvalves-for eachstagef-i andthecontro er-pistonsfs'o =designed'asfto -V produce the same valves, l 1

'cross-stage control lofV the. 391g y 'rheugh .thalamus-afidermatite-offre* controllercasing jaregconsideredfa preferredr means'or controlling `the automatlc operai-! tion of thestagefvalvesg' I .do-not desire to' 'tionof'the nozzle-valves and r'notols;v as itis' 4I'ny purpose to claim, broadly, first, a'numberqof independently-controlled automatic stage? automatic contro ervalv'es utilizing afrelay' p ower, such as iluid-pressure, -13o-control the or twofspeedturbine. For the purposes o myi'nvention it is vin'lnglaterial Whether" the stages; be inclosed within the same. Shelli or formed.' in separate shells cr Whether the turbine beadapted to operate -seriesjvvithother turf f 10W-"pressurestages,-` atmosphere be acl-1 mitted through pipe 34 instead of a lnghpres-f A sure and `port4v8 connected with: the-:exhaust or condenseri'- It desired, each.valve 38 01:3 9y may controlftwof or--more .corres ending stage-valves".` -1My invention contemp ates the4 adaptation ofeach of thesevalvesto control all the corresponding'valves o'a sta e,-'wl1ich f of fluid' to the turbine 'is pulsated, 'as "in .the v. manner described in'my- Letters Patent No; 765,921. i

nog;

i Where the casmgsZS controlv lves'for the f" I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letv-ters Patent, is-

1. In a turbine, a wheel-compaitment,

' 5 rotatable element therein,nozzlestodischarge motor Huid with different driving -eiiects upon said element, means to maintain the nozzles acting with one 'driving effect closed, and means comprising a plurality ot valves 1o independently and aut-oma -ically controlled by pressure conditions in the turbine tot gove'n thelflow of Huid tliroughthe active nozz es. I I

i2. Ina turbine wherein the motor fluid is expandedin stages and discharged against rotatable "elements, two or more sets o cone duits between two stages, valves for said conduits adapted to be automatically and independently controlled. by internal pressure, and means -to maintain one set of conduits closed while the flowof motor fluid through the other set is automatically regulated.

3. In a reversible multiple-stage turbine,

a set of direct sta e-nozzles, aset of reversing vstage-nozzles, vaIves for each set of nozzles adapted to be automaticall and independ- "ently,controlled by internal'pressure conditions, in combination with means to prevent the iow of motor iiuid through both sets of passa esat the same time.,

4. n a reversiblemultiple-stage turbine', a

number of direct and reversing stage-nozzles,

-a valve 'for each nozzle which is adapted to be' automatically and independently con- `trolled by internal pressure, and means to .subject thevalves of but one set of nozzles at atime to the control ofthe internal pressure. 5. In a reversible multiple-stage turbine, a plurality of direct `and reversing stage-noa. 4o zles, means to maintain the reversing nozzles closed when the turbine is driven forward, and a number of automatic valves, governed Vby internal-pressure conditions, whichA control means for successively opening or closing the direct nozzles. 6. In a reversible multiple-stage turbine, a plurality of direct and reversing nozzles, means to maintain the direct nozzles closed when the turbine is being driven in a'reverse direction, and a number of automatic valves, governed by internalpressure conditions, which control means for successively opening or closing the reversing-nozzles.

7. In 'a two-'speed tur ine, independent working passages for producing different speeds ofrotation, and automatic stage-pressure-controlled valves for regulating the yflow' of motor Huid in said working passages be-V tween stages. j

8. Inj a multiple-stage turbine having two independent sets of working passages,4 one acting to drive the turbine forward, and the other producing a different driving action as to speed ordirection., ,a separate automatic 65.stage-pressurefcontrolledV valve for control-- a controller-casing,

.918,499 BES-[AVAILABLE CCP;

4ling the iiow of motor fluid through each pas` sage between stages, and means to cut one set of working'passages out ofl service.

9. In a'multiple'stag'e turbine, two conduits between stages Whichdischarge motor 7o luid with different driving effects against a bucket element in the stage of lower pressure,

valves automatically operated by the pressure in the higher-pressurestage for c'ontrol-v ling the fiow of motor fluid through each of said nozzles, and means to expose but one of said valves at a time tosaid controlling stage-l pressure.

10. Ina lmultiple-stage. turbine, two sets of conduits'between stages which discharge' 8o Huidpressure with different effects against a bucket element, valves for said conduits', and a number of controller.devices automatically acted upon by internal pressure, each device controlling,,by fluid-pres.- sure means, valves for a conduit in each set.

11. In a multiple-stage turbine, two sets of i supply and stage nozzle passages which cooperate with sets of rota table-.bucketsandyy act to discharge iuid-pressure with diiferent driving effects against the bucket-bearing elements, anumber of separate fluid-actuated valves for each set of stage-nozzles,av number of stage-pressurecontrolled auto-' matic controller-valvesfor the valves of each 95 set of stage-nozzles, and means to maintain one set of stage-nozzles closed while v the controller-valves for theotherlset successively openorclo'sethesame. 12. Inamulti l'e-stag'eturbine,aiplurality of sets of nozz e epassages between; stages which 'discharge fluid-pressure with different driving effects against a bucket element, a.- fluid-pressure-actuated valve for eachriozzle,

therein eX osed to a substantially constant force whic is opposed by internal turbinepressure supplied to said casing, conduits leadingfrom said casing to a valve for each set ot nozzle-passages, and serving to conduct r1 a highl or low pressure under the control of said automatic valve meansto open or close the valves.

13. In a turbine o eratingby'stage expansion, bucket-wheels 'aving two sets of buck.- u ets disposed at different distances from their centers, inde endent sets of nozzles coperating 'with sai setsif buckets, and a number of valves for each set of. nozzles, in combination with a plurality of vautomatic controller- 12 valves, which operate sensitive to stagefpresf sure, for eachset of stage-valves, and means to maintain one set of said controller-valves inactive.v

14. In a multiple-stage turbine, a number rz of controller-Casin s tor stage-valves comprising each two di erential cylinders lpistone valves said cylinders, conduits eadmg from the low-pressure ends of said 'cylinders to theinteriorof the turbine, ports admitting r3 automatic valve -means ro.

` high pressure to the ...high-pressure' ends of said cylinders, passages leading rorneach vcylinder to agroup of stagevalves,-'and vmeans to exposea correspondin lowres- 5 surecylinder of eaoh'casing to t le tur 'inepressure WhileA exposing the other-1oW -pres ;su're cylindersjto the'atmosphere or exhaustpressureff .j A

- 15. -In a'rnultiple-stage turbinepa conro' trolle'r-casing for stage-valves "comprising a mainfbody ortion, anda cap secured to each end thereo said casin'gcomprisingtw diff erential ,cylinders Wh''se 10W-pressure ends areforlned insaid Vvcaps, and Whose high-pres? 15 sureelids. are formed in' saidbodjT portion, ports admittinglhigh. pressureto one end Vof 'said.cy1inders, 4and Aconduits leading lfrom .thei1 "-v other ends to alvalve.- casin which 'eonimunicates'through'onejport Wit 'an ex- 2o haust oratmosphericpressure, and throu h .--.the other'with a stage-compartment in t e' turbine, and ma valve in'said casing which maintains 'one of sald conduits -lncommuni'ca- -tion with the stage-pressure and the other' ressure or atmosphere, and.

-2'5 'with thel low I .af means under t e,contro1 of said automatic valvesl to operatestage-valves, p ff 1,6. In a multiv le-stage turbine, a stagef': prssurefactuated controller device for stage- 30 valves comprising a compoundA differential f cylinder, automatic controller-valves in said cylinder, ports 'adapted to admit high `'and 'exhaust'pressures Ito oppositeends ofsaid I valves, and conduitsaetmg to conduct pres.- 3 5 sure under the' control of. said valves to operatesta e-valvesj.'

sta e-nozz1es Awhich dischargelluid-pressure l 4fw'it different effects a ainst a bucket '5o element, valves foreach. set o nozzles, and a plurality f controller'device's each com ris-V mla casin having two .differential cyhn 'ers l d' erentia piston-valves of relatively varya 'multiple-'stage turbine, sets of' a v es tosuccessivelyiopen or close said stage-valves, substantailly as described. f

'18. In a multiple-stage'turbine having in-V -dependent'workmg passages producing dif-v Vferent drivin efects 'upon bucket elements,-

anumube'r lo 4 valves to control the flowbf fluid-pressure between stages for each-set o f Working; assages, ajnuxnber of controller- -valvecasi'ngs forlsaidstageevalves, passages leadingfrom each casing-to asta evalve lfor each set of workingpassa es,-A an a number of automatic valves m eac casing'whichare moved'vsensitive to stage-'pressure and con,

trol-the admissionof an actuating-.pressure -to the valves 'which they controlto openorl close the saine, and .meansto cause 'the Icorresponding 'automatic --valves 'of each casing to. .be alternately `contri-filed by stag'eepres'- sure' or' moved to a position where they 'cause the closurel of' vthe stage-fval-ves' under. 'theirl control.

- 19. In a tlf-rune' hi'yin two mpendentl Working' passages, rotatab e parts acted upon4 by' the uid'insaid assages, the fluid one .passage'acting to 've ysaid parts forward and in the other passage to produce a difierent difn'rmg-ect, separate valve means for said passages'ajutoxnatically"responsive to in' ternal pressure conditions an adapted to controlthe'iow of motor fluid througheach':l I

passage at an intermediate point thereof, and means to cut dll said passages out ef service.

" In testimony whereof I have hereunto set vmy hand presenceofturo subscribing Wit- 

